e-ARC, 448 pagesRelease Date: February 7, 2017Published by: Thomas Dunne Books
Read from: January 1-5, 2017Stand-aloneSource: Publisher (Netgalley: This book was provided for a just and honest review. There was no compensataion given for the review.)For fans of: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Magic, YA
Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.
All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.
But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.
Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.
*MY THOUGHTS*
Ok, so I must say I was't sure what to expect when I heard about this book. I had never heard of the movie The Labryinth and so th entire concept of The Goblin King was a new experience for me. I wasn't sure it would be my cup of tea, but paired with JJ's writing and her amaznig characterization, I knew it would be right up my alley!
Liesel has heard the story of the goblin king from her family for many years. They tried to warn her about him, but as she grew older, the magic of the tale became lost on her. She no longer believed. Until her sister is one day taken by thee same goblins she came to stop believing in. The goblins decide to let her sister go with a price... Liesel. And she readily agrees.
THe number one thing I LOVED about this book was the characters. I really felt like Liesel was so brave and though her sister didn't think anything through, she was amazingly written as well. As a character driven reader I was completely invested in trying to find out more about what happened to them. Which is one reason I didn't give this the full 5 stars. I was hoping for more background on the goblin's tale (as I said, I haven't seen The Lbaryinth) and it was missing in the story. For those like me, I wished it was there to give it a little more background.
Then there was the writing style. I mean, are we SURE that JJ is a debut author? Because her writing style proves she's been doing this for a LONG time lol Everytime I cracked open this book I was sucked to a completely different place. The imagery in this book is EVERYTHING. The way I was transported underground and the market and every other place this book took me is something I look for in everey book I read (Hence the name Take Me Away!) so, in short, it definitely delivered.
Last but not least, let us not forget the romance. HOLY SMOKES. There was a point in time when I had to question whether or not this was NA or YA. In other words, I loved it haha I don't want to go into more detail, BUT I will say that this romance, gave me all the feels, both good and bad, and I can't wait for everyone to finally meet the character tomorrow!
Overall, I give this
BLOG TOUR EXTRA!
So, I was scheduled for a review only, but when I read the story there was something that stood out to me. Apparently it was a big thing in the movie, The Labryinth too, so I figured I should pay homage to it. PEACHES are a big thing in the book and movie, and I can't wait for y'all to find out why! And because they're so big in the story, everytime I saw one mentioned, I wanted some. So, I I decided, why not have some?
"WINTERSONG'S" PEACH CROCKPOT DUMP CAKE
(In other words, Peach Cobbler in a Crockpot!)
First, I got all the ingredients:
Peaches, Butter, Cake Mix, and Cinnamon.
Next I dumped everything in but the butter and the cinnamon
Then I added the cinnamon. *Pro-tip, the cinnamon goes on top of the peaches, but we don't like the fruit to not tast like fruit. We wanted cinnamon bread to not take away from the peach flavor :)
Throw everything into the crock pot for about 3 hours on high.
When cooked it should look like this.
When enjoying, it should look like this. Yes, the ice cream should be included lol
This recipe is super easy and went amazing with the story! It certainly satisfied my craving for peaches, and I hope it helps yours as well!